


The Message

by Small_Hobbit



Series: Twelve Days of Christmas plus One [13]
Category: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-10-03 17:16:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17288198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: Dr Watson receives a message asking him to take some letters to Esher.  He isn't too happy, but nevertheless complies.





	The Message

**Author's Note:**

> For debriswoman

When Dr Watson arrived back at Baker Street he was greeted by Mrs Hudson, who said, “Good afternoon, Doctor.  Mr Holmes has sent a message to ask if you could take the Stanhope letters to Esher for him.  He says to go to the Wheatsheaf.”

Dr Watson sighed, went into 221B, picked up the bundle of letters and headed off back down the stairs and out.  It took him over an hour to get to Esher, because he had just missed a train, so when he entered the Wheatsheaf he was hoping to find Holmes, pass over the letters, maybe have a quick drink, and then return to Baker Street.  However, there was no sign of Holmes in the bar.

The barman came over.  “Dr Watson?” he asked.  Watson nodded.  “I have a message for you from Mr Holmes, to ask you to wait here.”

Dr Watson sighed rather louder this time.  “I might as well have a drink while I’m waiting.  Do you do any food here?”

“I’m sure we can make you a sandwich if you’d like.”

Dr Watson’s stomach grumbled.  “Yes, please, that would be kind of you.”

Meanwhile, Sherlock Holmes had also returned to 221B.  He walked round the sitting room, then opened the door and shouted, “Mrs Hudson, have you been moving my papers again?”

Mrs Hudson appeared from the kitchen.  “Mr Holmes, I do not move your papers unless they are in danger of falling on the fire or blowing out of the window.”

“The Stanhope letters aren’t here and they were in the middle of the table.”

“Oh, Dr Watson has those.  He’s taken them to Esher, the Wheatsheaf.”

“Why on earth has he done that?”

“I believe he was asked to do so.”

“That’s ridiculous.  I must go and find him.”  Holmes snatched up his hat and coat and ran down the stairs, barely avoiding Mrs Hudson as he did so.

Scarcely two minutes later there was a knock on the door, and Mrs Hudson let in Mycroft Holmes.

“Whilst the cat’s away,” Mycroft began.

“The mice will get everything set up,” Mrs Hudson replied.

***

Sherlock Holmes entered the Wheatsheaf and immediately saw Watson finishing a ham sandwich and staring rather morosely at the remains of a pint of beer.

“Watson, what are you doing here?” Holmes demanded.

“You told me to come here,” Watson retorted.

“No, I didn’t.”

“Mrs Hudson said you did and then the barman said you’d left a message for me to wait for you.”

Holmes looked thoughtful.  “Why would Mrs Hudson say that?  I suppose she could have been mistaken, but it seems unlikely.  Wait a minute, what exactly did she say?”

Watson thought back.  “She said, ‘Mr Holmes has sent a message.’  She sounded perfectly genuine.”

Holmes gave a bark of laughter.  “She was genuine.  Mr Holmes had sent a message.  However, what she failed to specify and you, understandably, didn’t ask, was which Mr Holmes this was.”

“Of course,” Watson replied.  “And equally, the barman said he had a message from Mr Holmes.”

“So, what is my brother up to?”

“And with Mrs Hudson.  She must have been involved or she would have said Mr Mycroft Holmes.”

“We need to return to Baker Street as quickly as possible.  I suspect all will be revealed then.”

***

Despite the need for haste it still took them an hour to get back.  Holmes charged up the stairs, Watson following behind him.

He burst into 221B to be greeted with a chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ and to discover a small group had gathered there.  Mrs Hudson had laid out a table full of delicacies, including an enormous Epiphany tart as the centre piece.

Holmes looked stunned and Watson grinned at him.  “Happy birthday,” he said.

Later, Mycroft Holmes apologised to the doctor for the trick he had paid.

“Don’t worry about it,” Watson said.  “If I hadn’t fallen for it, your brother would never have left our rooms.  As it is, I can only applaud your ingenuity.”

 


End file.
